A 4-week beginner training plan built around 50 points a day

Yes, a complete beginner can build up to 50 Edge Rewards points a day in four weeks, and you do not need to train for an hour to do it. This plan uses five short sessions a week (walking or running, strength, a little HIIT and mobility) plus everyday steps, and keeps two proper rest days so your body adapts instead of wearing down.

Edge Rewards opens to everyone on Sunday 8 November 2026. Below you will find how the points work, the four-week plan in a table, what each session looks like, and why the quieter days matter just as much as the busy ones.

How do Edge Rewards points work?

On the free tier you earn 1 point for every minute of a logged workout, up to 50, plus 2.5 points for every 1,000 steps, up to 25. Your combined total is capped at 50 points a day, and anything above that does not roll over. Points reset to zero at the end of each calendar month. Any logged workout counts, including manual entries and sessions imported from Strava, Apple Health, Garmin or Coros. Our full guide to Edge Rewards covers the marketplace and what you can spend points on.

One note on the maths in this article. When you walk or run, your watch also counts those steps. To keep the numbers honest, we count them cautiously: the step figures below are your everyday steps outside your sessions, so we never add a workout's steps on top of its minutes.

What does a balanced beginner week look like?

Every week of the plan follows the same simple shape, so you never have to wonder what is next:

• Monday: walk or walk-run.
• Tuesday: full-body strength.
• Wednesday: rest day, everyday steps only.
• Thursday: walk or walk-run.
• Friday: mobility.
• Saturday: short HIIT.
• Sunday: rest day, everyday steps only.

This lines up well with the UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines, which suggest adults build towards at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days. You will not hit all of that in week 1, and you do not need to. Swap days around to suit your diary, but try not to put the HIIT session the day before or after strength while you are new.

What is the full 4-week plan and how many points does it earn?

Here is the month at a glance. Points are estimates on the free tier, using the everyday step target for every day of that week and the 50-point daily cap. The Pro column assumes double points on the same minutes and steps with no daily cap.

Estimates only. Your points depend on what you log and the steps your phone or watch records. Steps taken during a session are not added on top of that session's minutes.

In week 4 your walk-run, strength and HIIT days each reach the 50-point cap: for example 30 minutes of strength (30 points) plus 10,000 everyday steps (25 points) is 55, capped at 50. Your rest days still bring in 25 points each from steps alone. With four weeks of steady training, about 1,005 points is a realistic free total, and about a week of training is roughly enough for a free coffee.

If your four weeks cross the end of a month, remember the monthly reset: your balance goes back to zero when the month ends, so spend any points you want to use in the last few days. Our guide to the monthly points reset explains how to plan around it.

How do sessions and steps add up across a week?

Here is week 3 day by day, so you can see how sessions and steps add up.

What do the walking and running sessions involve?

Each walk-run starts with brisk walking to warm up and ends with easy walking to cool down, filling whatever time the middle section leaves. The middle builds gently:

• Week 1: a brisk 20-minute walk on Monday. On Thursday, do 1 minute of easy jogging and 2 minutes of walking, three times.
• Week 2: 1 minute jogging and 2 minutes walking, five times (15 minutes).
• Week 3: 2 minutes jogging and 1 minute walking, six times (18 minutes).
• Week 4: 3 minutes jogging and 1 minute walking, five times (20 minutes).

Jog at a pace where you could still speak in short sentences. If running is not for you yet, brisk walking for the same time earns exactly the same points.

What is in the strength session?

One full-body session a week keeps things simple. You can do it at home or in a gym:

• Squats to a chair or box, 8 to 12 reps.
• Incline press-ups against a kitchen worktop or bench, 8 to 12 reps.
• Glute bridges, 10 to 15 reps.
• Rows with dumbbells or a loaded backpack, 8 to 12 reps each side.
• Dead bugs, 6 to 8 slow reps each side.

Do 2 rounds in weeks 1 and 2, and 3 rounds in weeks 3 and 4, resting 60 to 90 seconds between exercises. Add a warm-up of marching on the spot and bodyweight squats. Finish each set with one or two good reps still in the tank. If you want a second strength day, swap it in for one walk-run once the plan feels comfortable.

How hard should the HIIT session be?

For beginners, short and low-impact is best. After a five-minute warm-up, work for 30 seconds and recover with easy marching for 60 seconds. Rotate through step-ups, fast marching with high knees, squats and standing punches. That is about 6 rounds in week 1 and up to 10 by week 4, followed by a few minutes of easy walking. One HIIT session a week is plenty in the first month. When you are ready for more, try our 20-minute HIIT workout at home.

Why include a mobility session?

A 15 to 20-minute mobility session counts as a logged workout, so it earns points like any other. It also gives your legs a lighter day between harder sessions. Try 2 minutes each of cat-cow, a kneeling hip flexor stretch, open books for your upper back, a calf stretch against a wall, a hamstring stretch, and the world's greatest stretch, then finish with slow deep breathing. Evidence on stretching and injury prevention is mixed, but many people find regular mobility work helps them move more comfortably.

Do rest days still earn points?

Yes, from steps only, and that is exactly how it should be. Rest days are part of training. They are when your muscles repair and your body adapts to the work you have done. Skipping them to chase points is the fastest way to feel run-down or pick up a niggle. Our beginner's guide to rest days covers what a good rest day looks like.

A relaxed walk to the shops, or with a friend, still adds to your step points. If you feel unusually tired, sore for days, or your sleep is off, take an extra rest day. There will be plenty more chances to earn next week.

How does Edge Pro change this plan?

Everyone can earn and redeem points on the free tier. Edge Pro earns double points, has no daily cap, and includes exclusive prizes and secret offers. More useful for a beginner, Edge Pro builds a fully personalised plan around your schedule and goals across running, strength, HIIT and mobility, ready within 24 hours, and you can message a real coach anytime. It costs £22.99 a month, £84.99 every six months, or £129.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial that needs a card.

How do I start the plan?

• Get the free Edge app and connect Strava, Apple Health, Garmin or Coros so your sessions and steps sync.
• Pick the two days that suit you best for rest and keep them protected.
• Log every session, including mobility. If a session does not sync, add it as a manual entry.
• Check your points at the end of each week, and adjust the plan if it feels too easy or too hard.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.